


If You Like

by ArcticLucie



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Beaches, Clueless Kaidan, Frottage, M/M, Porn With Plot, Shepard is a sex panther, Sheploo - Freeform, Swimming Pools, mShenko, pina coladas, wingman!Tali
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-11
Updated: 2015-09-11
Packaged: 2018-04-20 06:53:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4777700
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArcticLucie/pseuds/ArcticLucie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>...piña coladas and Kaidan as a glorified pool boy, then this fic is for you.</p>
            </blockquote>





	If You Like

**Author's Note:**

> This was meant to be a short pwp, but I have a hard time doing smut without feels and world building, so this turned into something a little bigger than I thought, but my fics usually do. I must thank [Cereith](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Cereith/pseuds/Cereith) for this idea who lives next door to me on the island of MShenko. And I think you'll all agree it's a wonderful place.

He really didn’t know how it happened. One minute he was bringing Mr. Shepard his piña colada, the next he was pinned against the wall of the flimsy little tiki bar, rough palm leaves digging into his back as Shepard rutted against his thigh. The nip at his ear dissolved the world around him and he released the wrists he had in a vice grip knowing they’d immediately make their way down to his belt.

*****

The day started out normal enough. 

Kaidan began his shift at the Citadel Resort and Spa, a swanky beachside hotel tucked away at the edge of the sleepy town of Normandy Falls. Mountains rose up on every side but the one overlooking the crystal blue water, the shoreline weaving a white sandy line against the ever-present waves.

He liked his job. Most days. As the assistant pool manager for the hotel, he made sure the staff attended to the needs of their guests while they enjoyed their vacations. Glorified pool boy as Joker always said. They had two pools—the rickety tiki bar sitting in between them—with several shaded tables that littered the pool deck.

Joker had already opened the bar for the day and Tali had the towels set out when he arrived, but things started to go down hill when Conrad called in sick. Again. Kaidan suspected it had more to do with the wicked swell forming the perfect white tipped breakers just off the beach, but it left him to pull double duty as he ran drinks with Tali and the rest of the wait staff while squeezing in time for his managerial duties. 

They'd just caught up on their orders when N7, as they called him from his room number, came down to sit under one of the umbrellas. He had a tablet with him and quickly waved Tali over to take his order before burying his nose in it. 

Kaidan had seen him a few times over the past several days, and though he'd never admit it out loud, he checked the guy out a time or two. Fraternizing with guests was strictly prohibited, though he'd never even consider it. But how could he not notice a pair of eyes that matched the ocean in the distance so perfectly? The shade of them so blue he had to look away several times to avoid getting caught in their riptide? 

“Hey Kaidan, the guy in N7 wants to talk with the manager,” Tali said an hour later as she poured N7 a refill for his coffee.

“Did you spill something on him?” he questioned from behind the bar where he had succeeded in getting a little bit of his own work done in between serving guests. 

“No, the opposite,” she replied, a mischievous smirk on her face as she peered out from under her purple-rimmed sunhat. “Mr. Shepard said he wanted to praise the wait staff.” 

He let out a breathy laugh and left the bar with the guest’s mug. The bright sunlight had him squinting as soon as he stepped out from cover, but he'd worked at the hotel long enough to know how to navigate the pool deck to optimize the shade from the umbrellas. Mr. Shepard had on pair of dark sunglasses that he removed when Kaidan approached, sitting them in his lap along with his tablet. Kaidan wished he'd left them on because up close, N7 looked ridiculously handsome with his stubble-dusted jaw and rosy pink lips.

“Are you the manager?” Shepard asked, a jovial lift to his tone, taking the coffee from the tray Kaidan held out to him.

Kaidan smiled his well-crafted customer service grin. “Assistant Manager, my boss Mr. Anderson was just promoted so I’m filling in until his replacement is found. I’m Kaidan Alenko, is there anything I can do for you to make your stay here at the Citadel Resort more enjoyable?” 

Shepard flashed him a grin of his own as he gave Kaidan the once over. He tried not to read into that. 

“Maybe later, but for now I just wanted to compliment your excellent staff for doing an amazing job.”

“Thank you, Mr. Shepard. I’ll let them know to keep up the good work. Is that all, sir? If you like, I can send over some complimentary pastries for you to enjoy with your beverage.”

“No thanks, but please call me John, or just Shepard. Mister and Sir make me feel old,” he said with a chuckle. 

“Very well, Shepard. If you need anything else, just let my staff know and I’ll see to it personally,” Kaidan replied, hoping it didn’t come off in the flirty way he really wanted it to. 

Shepard nodded and Kaidan turned to head back to the bar to finish making schedules for the following week. He knew it wasn’t possible to _actually_ feel someone’s eyes on you, but he swore he felt Shepard’s.

Around noon, business picked up with lunch orders added to the mix, so Kaidan had to help the servers deliver food and drinks. He tried to keep his eyes off Shepard, but it seemed like every time he passed by, the man smiled at him. He couldn’t be rude to a guest and ended up smiling back as he ran all over the deck.

“N7 keeps checking you out,” Tali teased when they both ended up at the bar at the same time as they waited on drink orders.

“I don’t think I need to remind you that fraternizing is not allowed,” Kaidan said, fixing her with his best boss stare.

“Of course not sir… but I hear he’s checking out tomorrow.” She winked before grabbing her tray of drinks and hurrying along.

James took over from there, starting in on him as he made a martini. “When’s the last time you got laid?”

“This isn’t appropriate work conversation, Vega,” he admonished. And he didn’t want to admit that it had been so long he’d probably go off like a firecracker if the breeze hit him just right.

“That long, huh?” the bartender pressed.

“Just fix the damn drinks, James!”

“Whatever you say, jefe,” he said with a salute before placing the drinks on an empty tray and chuckling as Kaidan walked away. 

Things died down after that, which they were all thankful for, but Tali seemed determined not to let him off the hook that easily. “I wasn’t joking about N7,” she said as she reapplied her sunscreen. Sometimes he really hated working with his friends.

“I don’t think it’s appropriate for me to be discussing a guest like this with my employees,” Kaidan grumbled, pretending to fiddle with his datapad to hide his interest.

“When you bent over to hand Mrs. N18 her drink, he totally squeezed lotion all over E3. And not like in a sexy way, but in an _explosive_ kind of way. Made a mess of her. I had to bring her an extra towel.” Tali snickered behind her hand, pulling down her hat over her face with the other.

Kaidan tried not to listen to her because it didn’t matter how much he wanted to throw his datapad into the pool, jump on Shepard's lap, and ride him into the sunset, it would never happen. Shepard was going back to where he came from tomorrow and would fade into the void like all the other guests that came before and would come after.

“E3? Is that the hot chick in the red bikini with the curves in _all_ the right places?” Joker inquired.

“Don’t encourage her,” Kaidan ordered, but his words went ignored.

Tali snickered. “Yes, Ms. Williams! I think she was trying to get N7's attention and asked him to lotion up her back. I don’t think he was interested considering he couldn't keep his eyes off Kaidan's ass the whole time he’s been here.”

“Tali!”

“Kaidan!” she said, mirroring his tone. “He’ll be checking out in twelve hours, this might be your only shot. You need to live a little.”

Maybe she had a point. He hadn't had a date in months, not even a one-night stand or a booty call, but he’d just have to find someone else because guests were _off limits._

As much as he liked pretending not to stare at N7, disappointment hit him when Shepard got up to leave. Kaidan sighed as he covertly watched him walk away, knowing he'd never see that ass again, never know what it felt like in his hands and on his di... and okay, he needed to fucking get laid! 

He spent the rest of the day distracting himself with work, intent on riding himself of inappropriate thoughts. But Shepard made that pretty damn hard when he strolled back through the pool gate right before sunset, red swim trunks sitting dangerously low around his waist. And maybe Kaidan drooled a little, but it really couldn’t be helped when the V of Shepard's hips looks so damn enticing peeking out of the waistband or when his sculpted abs became the only thing Kaidan wanted out of life.

Kaidan had planned on leaving early, trusting his staff to close up for the night, but instead, he found himself at a table facing the pool with his mostly ignored tablet in hand. He told Tali he needed to finish the schedule, but he doubted she bought it. Especially when Shepard jumped in the pool and started swimming laps. Kaidan did his best to actually get some work done, but he kept getting distracted by the way the muscles of Shepard’s shoulders moved through the water with a fluid grace as they cut through the surface of the pool.

Eventually Tali slapped him back to reality with a friendly "tap" upside the head when she sat down beside him. Gods, he needed to pull himself together because he didn't need a guest filing a complaint against him for lewd staring. “Technically, you don’t work here now so go say ‘hi’ or something,” Tali said.

“I can’t,” he huffed as he stormed off toward the bar.

Tali joined him after making the rounds for last call. He didn't trust the impish grin on her face. “A piña colada, James,” she said before turning her gaze on Kaidan. “So apparently, he just moved to Normandy after he left his wife, and he’s only staying at the hotel for a few days until he can find him an apartment.”

“Wife?” Joker heckled from a stool as he rolled silverware. “Maybe you are barking up the wrong palm tree.”

“No, he said it was amicable after he came out to her… sooo, he’s available and gay and won’t be a guest this time tomorrow,” Tali explained, her exuberance overflowing. “And best of all, he won’t be leaving town!”

Maybe the new information should’ve changed things but Kaidan just couldn’t do it. He had principles after all. Sure, his brain went completely blank on them when Shepard climbed out of the pool, his body glistening with a thousand lucky-as-fuck droplets that cascaded down his chiseled chest

“Here! Take this to Shepard,” Tali said, shoving the piña colada at him.

“Tali!”

“Just give him his drink, and I’ll drop the subject,” she said, offering him a compromise.

He groaned in protest but conceded, taking the white coconut concoction and heading for Shepard. “Tali got tied up so I brought your drink over for you.” Kaidan smiled as he handed him the glass.

“Thanks, otherwise it might’ve melted and I would’ve had to complain to the assistant manager,” Shepard said, his blue eyes sparkling in the dying sunlight when he chuckled.

“I’m glad it didn’t come to that,” Kaidan replied with a small laugh of his own.

“I was wondering—”

“Uh, I’m flattered, but it’s against the rules so….”

“Handing out extra towels is against the rules?” Shepard asked, quirking a brow at him. And did he have to use the puppy dog eyes on him? Low blow.

“Um… what? No, no, you, um, extra towel?” Kaidan stuttered, rubbing the back of his neck. His face got the faintest flush and he cursed the sun that was too far down to blame for his now heated cheeks. “We’re all out up front since we’re about to close the pool, but we have some more in the back. I’ll go grab you one.”

“You really don’t have to go through all that trouble,” Shepard said before taking a sip of his piña colada. He smacked his lips and then licked them, eyes burning into Kaidan. “Mmm, this is _really_ good.”

Kaidan felt that voice, smooth and raspy, trickle all the way down to his toes as they curled inside his shoes. “I insist. You’re a guest, and it’s kind of my job to make your stay as enjoyable as possible.” 

And maybe the inadvertent drop in his own timbre did the same to Shepard because he watched his Adam’s apple bob just as Joker’s voice startled him, cutting through the sexual tension like a hot brand that sobered him like a kick to the head. 

“Locking up boss!”

Kaidan whipped his head around to find Joker with a shit-eating grin on his face. “Thanks, Joker!” he yelled, refraining from flipping him off. He turned back to Shepard who had watched the exchange with a smirk. “I should, uh, get you that towel.”

“That would be great,” Shepard said. 

Kaidan started toward the bar, waving to Tali as she headed out for the evening. He walked inside the tiki hut where they had fresh towels already folded and ready to go for the next day. When he turned to head back out, he found Shepard standing inside the doorway.

“Joker told me to come on back,” Shepard said, taking a few steps closer. “Is that okay? I don’t want to get you fired or anything.”

“No, it’s fine… I mean, it’s not really allowed, but….”

Shepard took a few more steps. “If this could get you in trouble, I can leave.”

“Yeah, that’s, uh, that’s probably a good idea,” Kaidan replied, holding out the towel. Shepard closed the remainder of the distance and grabbed ahold of the soft white cotton, but when he went to pull it away, Kaidan couldn’t will his fingers to let go.

“I didn’t come here for a towel,” Shepard confessed, letting go of the linen and stepping even closer still.

Kaidan swallowed and took a few small steps back until he hit the wall decorated with palm leaves that Tali had insisted be put up for morale. The towel dropped to the floor when Shepard’s hands moved to his waist. Kaidan gripped his wrists to remove them from his body, but Shepard moved both their hands up above his head and pressed his damp body against Kaidan’s polo and khaki shorts.

“I’ve been watching you all week,” Shepard whispered, nosing along his jaw up to his ear.

“It’s against the rules,” Kaidan said, somehow forcing the words out even though they burned like he had a mouthful of hot coals.

“That’s why I checked out this afternoon,” he explained, sucking Kaidan’s earlobe into his mouth. He released it with a pop. “Thought I might be able to stay with you tonight, if that’s okay.”

Kaidan gasped when Shepard’s thigh worked its way between his legs and he started rocking his hips, Kaidan’s cock twitching as the wet swimsuit soaked through his shorts. He would’ve signed over the rights to his first-born if Shepard continued to move his hips like that.

“Just for the night. My apartment will be ready tomorrow. Then maybe I can return the favor,” Shepard said.

“Yeah, that’d be nice,” Kaidan breathed, losing all sense of self when teeth clamped down on his ear and hands undid his zipper.

Then he was gone, just like his shirt and just like Shepard’s trunks, the wet swimsuit falling to the ground with a plop. A hand dipped inside his briefs to squeeze his hardening length, blanketing him in warmth along with the breath huffing out against his neck and the hot body melting into his.

“You have a great ass, but I’m too fucking worked up from watching you all day,” Shepard said, licking a line over the curve of Kaidan’s shoulder up to his neck. 

Shepard had an amazing ass too, and Kaidan knew this first hand since both of his had fallen to knead into the soft flesh of it, his body aching desperately for more sultry friction. “It’s been too long, I’m not.…” Kaidan trailed off as Shepard yanked his shorts and underwear down past his hips.

He felt Shepard’s cock slide against the cool, bare skin of his thigh, his own nuzzled into the shallow divot of the delicious V he'd drooled over for the last hour, and then Shepard rolled his hips again, Kaidan’s head lulling back as he gave himself over to the wonderful sensations shoot through his body.

Maybe it had been so long that he’d forgotten, but he never remembered it feeling so good, pressure hitting all the right spots at just the right time, Shepard’s hands working him over like a potter does his clay, himself turning to putty as the tension they’d built up all day overflowed.

Shepard’s nips and licks turned to kisses by the time he made it to his lips, their mouths finding their cadence as did their bodies as Kaidan fell deeper into the depths of him. A shiver coursed through him when nails raked through his hair, pulling him in to intensify the kiss.

“Fuck Shepard! Don’t, please, don’t stop,” Kaidan rasped, forgetting about the palm leaves cutting into his back and the fact the door probably stood wide open for the world to see because all that matter was the feel of Shepard’s skin on his and the way their bodies aligned more precisely than the stars.

He couldn't hold out much longer. Maybe the title Glorified Pool Boy fit him better than he thought because his orgasm built so fast he felt like one of the teenagers they hired on for extra help in the summertime, hormones ruling over reason as he went hurdling at full speed ahead toward the edge, riding the waves of pleasure that he knew would soon consume him.

He held fast to the shoulders that had hypnotized him earlier as he went under, streams of spunk shooting up their stomachs to be smeared around as Shepard continued to rut against him. Then Shepard followed him down, adding to the hot slick and slippery sweat and pool water between them, bones and bodies still rattling with aftershocks when they finally still their hips.

“Damn, why isn’t that on the list of services?” Shepard asked between gasps. He pulled away to pick up the discarded towel and wiped off his stomach before tossing it to Kaidan who's brain had finally caught up to the rest of him.

“Oh gods… I’m gonna get fired,” he whimpered.

Shepard's wiggling hips did not help as he slipped on his wet swimsuit. “I’m sure you’re overreacting.”

“I just did inappropriate things with a guest--" 

"Former guest."

"Whatever. _Former guest._ But even if you weren’t a former guest, I still brought someone back here who wasn’t authorized to be and then came all over the floor.” He frowned down, scrubbing the sticky mixture off his stomach before it dried and really made a mess of him. 

“I don’t think we got any on the floor,” Shepard said, looking down to make sure.

Kaidan threw the soiled towel into the laundry and leaned down to pull his shorts up, “That’s not really the point!”

“I’m sure your boss will understand once they see how hot I am.” The _former guest_ smirked, and Kaidan couldn’t tell if he was joking or not. 

It didn’t matter because he knew he'd fucked up. As soon as Anderson, or maybe even his new boss heard about what he’d done, he'd get fired for sure. Did he really just throw away his career for a one-night stand with a guy he'd most likely never see again? "This isn’t a joke, this is my career you just helped me flush down the drain,” he spat.

“If it’ll make you feel better, I’ll talk to your boss and explain what happened, put in a good word.”

“I don’t even know who my boss is right now! We're in between managers.” 

“Just between you and me,” Shepard said as he grabbed a fresh towel from the bin and wrapped it around him, “I heard rumors about him being the owner’s son or something.”

“Hackett doesn’t have a son. He has a stepson. I think his name was Sheldon or Sherman or something with an s.”

“Shepard?”

“Yeah, that’s it!” Kaidan said, doing a quick sweep of the room to make sure everything looked in order and not like he’d just scored with the hottest guy on the planet. 

It took a moment for the pieces to slide into place in his fuzzy brain, still hazy from his orgasm. He looked over to Shepard who stood leaning in the doorway, arms crossed over his chest, with the most self-satisfying smirk on his face Kaidan had ever seen.

“I can still stay with you tonight, right?” Shepard asked, his smirk morphing into a hopeful smile.

Kaidan didn't know what to say. Not only had he just fucked his new boss, which inappropriate, but now the guy wanted to spend the night with him? Fuck! He couldn’t spend the night with his boss. Their harmless rutting didn't count because he didn't know. But now he did know and they should go their separate ways and pretend it never happened. Technically they didn't work together. _Yet._ So they were in the clear. Right?

"Just for tonight,” Shepard pressed. "And if you want, I won't tell a soul."

Kaidan blew out a shaky breath, cursing himself when he accidentally looked into those wicked blue eyes. 

_Just say ‘no,’ Kaidan…._

"One night."

_Fuck!_

**Author's Note:**

> I intend for this to stay as a one-shot for the time being, but I might—sometime in the far future—revisit this because I recognize it has potential and already have ideas for ways it could go. Unless you all hate it, then nevermind...
> 
> **So it is far into the future, and this fic keeps coming back to me, so I guess we'll give this a go. :D


End file.
